The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-03-03
CHAPTER VIII.

CHAPTER VIII.
Kate was stirring early, but not as early as
her sister, who met her on the threshold of
her room. Her face was quite pale, and she
held a letter in her hand "What does this
mean Kateg'
'What is, the matter?" asked Kate, her own
color fading from her cheek
''They are gone-with their horses. Left
before day, and left this"
She handed Kate an open letter. The girl
took it hurriedly, and read:
"When you get this we shall be no more;
perhaps not even as much. Ned found the
trail yesterday, and we are taking the first
advantage of it before day. We dared not
trust ourselves to say 'Good-by!' last even
ing; we were too cowardly to face you this
morning; we must go as we came, without
warning, but not without regret. We leave
package and a letter for your husband. 1t
is not only our poor return for your gentle
ness and hospitality, but, since it was acci-
dentally the means of giving US the pleasure
of your society, we beg you to keep it in safe
ty until his return. We kiss your mothers
hands. Ned wants to say something more,
but time presses, and I only allow him to
send his love to Minnie, and to tell her that
he is trying to find the red snow
GEORGE LEE"
"But he is not fit to travel" said Mrs
Hale. "And the trail-it may not be pass
able"
at was passable the day before yesterday"
said Kate drearily, 'for 1 discovered it, and
went as far as the buckeyes"
"Then it was you who told them about it,"
said Mrs. Hale reproachfully.
"No," said Kate Indignantly "Of course
didn't" She stopped, and, reading the sig
nificance of her speech in the glistening eyes
of her sister, she blushed. Josephine kissed
her and said:
"It Was treating us like children, Kate,
but we must make them pay for it hereafter.
For that package and letter to John means
something, and we shall probably see them
before long. l wonder what the letter is
about, and what is in the package?'
Probably one of Mr.. Lees jokes. He is
quite capable Of turning the whole thing into
ridicule. l dare say he considers his visit
here a prolonged jest"
with his poor leg, Kate? You are as un-
fair to him as you were to Falkner when they
| first came"
Kate, however, kept her dark eyebrows
knitted in piquant frown.
ITO think of his intimating auhdt he would
allow Falkner to say! And yet you believe
he has no evil influence over the young
man."
Mrc Ia1n rhOI 1n,-o rrOi,,
SO fast, Kate?" she called, mschievously, as
the young lady founced out of the room.
"Wherea Why, to tidy Johns room. He
may be coming at any moment now. Or do
you want to do it yourselfs"
"No, no." returned Mrs. Hale, hurriedly,
'you do it. I'll look in a little later on"
| She turned away with q sigh. The sun
was shining brilliantly outside. Through
the half-open blinds its long shafts seemed
to be searching the house for the lost guests,
and making the hollow shell appear doubly
empty. What contrast to the dear da44-
days of mysterious seclusion and delicious
security, lit by Lees laughter and the spark
| ling hearth, which had passed so quicklyl
| The forgotten outer world seemed to have
returned to the house through those open
| windows and awakened its dwellers from a
| dream
The morning seemed interminable, and it
was past noon, while they were deep in &
| sympathetic conference with Mrs Scott, who
had drawn a pathetic word picture of the
two friends perishing in the snowdrift, with
out f1annels, brandy, smelling salts or jelly,
which they had forgotten, when they were
startled by the loud barking of Spot on the
lawn before the house. The women looked
hurriedly at each other.
"They have returned" said Mrs Hale
Kate ran to the window. A horseman was
approaching the house. A single glance
showed her that it was neither Falkner, Lee
nor Hale, but stranger.
Perhaps he brings some news of them,"
said Mrs. Scott, quickly. So complete had
been their preoccupation with the loss of
their guests that they could not yet conceive
of anything that did not pertain to it.
The stranger, who was at once ushered into
the parlor, was evidently disconnected by the
presence of the three women.
"Ireckoned to see John Hale yer" he began,
awkwardly.
A slight look of disappointment passed
over their faces. "He has not yet returned, ;"
said Mrs. Hale briefly.
"Sho! warter know. He's he'd time to
do it, I reckon, said the stranger
II suppose he hasn't been able to get over
from the Summit, returned Mrs. Hale. "The
trail is closed"
at amt now, for KEN over it this morn
in myself"
"You didI 't-meet-any onea" asked
Mrs. Hale tiIaidly, with q Eiance at the
others
@Nu."
A long silence ensued. The unfortunate
visitor plainly perceived an evident abate-
ment of interest in himself, yet he still
struggled politely to say something. "Then
1 reckon you know what kept Hale away!'
he said obviously.
"Oh, certainly-the stage robbery"
II wish I'd known that" said the stran-
ger refectively, "for ez good ez rode over
jist to tell it to We. Ye see John Hals, he
sent note to ye 'splainin' matters by "a gen
tleman but the road agents tackled that
man, and left him for dead in the road"
EYES," said Mrs. Hale impatiently.
Luckily he didn't die, but KEN to and man
aged to crawl inter the bush, whar found
him when was lookin' for stock, and brought
him to my house,
"You found him? Your house" interrupted
Mrs. Hale.
"Inter my house," continued the man dog
gedly. "Im Thompson of Thompson's Pas
over yon: mebbe it amt much of a house
but brought him thar. Well, ez he couldn'
find the note that Hale had guv him, and Ike
ez not the road agents had gone through hin